title: Formocresol blood levels in children receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of formocresol in the plasma of children undergoing oral rehabilitation involving pulp therapy under general anesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty 2- to 6-year-old preschool children were enrolled in the study. Preoperative, intra-operative, and postoperative peripheral venous samples were collected from each child. All samples were analyzed for formaldehyde and cresol levels using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-five pulpotomies were performed ranging from 1 to 5 per child. Three hundred twelve blood samples were collected. Analysis revealed that formaldehyde was undetectable above baseline plasma concentration and cresol was undetectable in all samples. Benzyl alcohol (a byproduct of cresol metabolism) was present in all samples except the baseline preoperative samples. Benzyl alcohol concentrations ranged from 0 to 1 mg/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Formaldehyde was undetectable above baseline plasma concentration, and cresol was undetectable in subjects receiving pulpotomy treatment under general anesthesia. Benzyl alcohol was detected in the plasma of all subjects receiving pulpotomy treatment. The levels present were far below the Food and Drug Administration's recommended daily allowance. It is unlikely that formocresol, when used in the doses typically employed for a vital pulpotomy procedure, poses any risk to children.
authors.affiliation: kahlja@msn.com
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.forename: Jillian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Easton
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zuk
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galinkin
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D019905:Benzyl Alcohol / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003408:Cresols / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000097:blood; D005566:Formocresols / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000379:methods*; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003408:Cresols; D005566:Formocresols; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D005557:Formaldehyde; C031025:formocresol; C077977:cresol; D019905:Benzyl Alcohol